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Jury Convicts Absecon Man In Connection With Buena Armed Home Invasion

The case was broken open when Michael Hayes’ fingerprint was located on discarded duct tape at the crime scene.

Michael Hayes

On June 6, 2023, an Atlantic County jury convicted Michael Hayes, 46, of Absecon, NJ, of the following:

  • First-degree robbery.
  • First-degree unlawful possession of a handgun by a person with a prior NERA conviction.
  • Second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery.
  • Second-degree burglary.
  • Second-degree conspiracy to commit burglary.
  • Second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
  • Second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun.
  • Second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.
  • Second-degree certain persons not to possess firearms.
  • Third-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
  • Third-degree criminal restraint.
  • Third-degree terroristic threats.
  • Third-degree theft.
  • Third-degree conspiracy to commit theft.
  • Fourth-degree aggravated assault by pointing a firearm at another.

During the course of the two-week trial the jury heard evidence that weeks leading up to the incident, Hayes conspired with an unknown accomplice to rob the victim in this case, S.B.

On September 15, 2020, Hayes and his accomplice waited outside S.B.’s house in Buena Borough with masks on and confronted him at gunpoint as S.B. left to go to work around 6:30 a.m.

They duct-taped him and forced him back inside his house and into his bedroom. The jury found that Hayes held the victim at gunpoint in his room, threatening to shoot him in the head. S.B. was robbed of approximately $1,000 cash and a necklace.

As this was occurring, the unknown accomplice walked down the hall and pointed a gun at S.B.’s father and told him and his wife to stay quiet. S.B. was able to break free from the duct tape and attempted to escape down the stairs.

The jury found that Hayes told the accomplice to shoot S.B., and the accomplice obliged, firing one shot that grazed the victim’s head. S.B. was able to make it safely across the street to his neighbor’s house where 911 was called. Hayes and his accomplice fled the scene.

The case was broken open when Hayes’ fingerprint was located on the discarded duct tape at the crime scene.

This case was investigated by the Franklin Township Police Department with assistance from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the Richland County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Department Forensic Sciences Laboratory.

Sentencing Date

Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2023 before the Honorable W. Todd Miller, J.S.C.

Assistant Prosecutor Deirdre Laws tried the case and continues to represent the State in this matter.

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